“Tomorrow?” Poppy squeaked.
Minghua nodded proudly. “Yup! Sunrise! Iloverituals!”
Xu Yunlian appeared behind her. “Minghua, sweetie, please stop shouting.”
“But I’m excited!”
“I know, darling. Everyone knows.”
Poppy turned slowly to Mingxi. “Tomorrow?” she whispered.
He nodded, expression softening into something vulnerable.
“It will bind the clan’s protection to you,” he said quietly. “And… it matters to me that you stand with us.”
The air between them warmed, and Poppy reached for his hand.
“I’ll stand with you,” she said softly.
His ears lowered, his eyes brightening just a fraction.
Lysandra rolled off the chaise. “Oh, my gods. Someone feed me… they’re making me emotional.”
Minghua shrieked, “Same!”
Mingxi lowered his forehead to Poppy’s, whispering just for her, “Then we’ll face everything together.”
Her answer was simple. “Yes.”
Chapter 84
Dawn arrived gently.
Mist gathered low across the clan grounds, glowing faintly as foxfire lanterns rose into the air on their own, drifting like luminous petals. A hush fell over Huoyáo Jìng—not fearful, but sacred.
Poppy stood in the center of the ceremonial clearing, barefoot on warm stone. Her hair was freshly brushed and pinned with delicate silver fox-clips Minghua insisted on. Poppy wore soft robes in pale moon-silk—simple, but beautiful. She felt small. Overwhelmed. Terrified. But also… strangely at peace.
Mingxi stood beside her, dressed in deep charcoal robes, six tails flowing behind him in soft arcs. His posture was protective but not overbearing. Just present. Alive.
He looked down at her. “Ready?” he whispered.
“No,” she breathed.
He nodded. “Then I’ll be enough for both of us.”
Her heart squeezed.
The Shen family took their positions: Mingzhao, formal and imposing, at the head of the circle; Xu Yunlian, soft-eyed and steady, to his right; Mingjun, calm and vigilant; Minghua, vibrating violently with excitement. Warriors formed the outer ring, and elders chanted soft phrases in fox-tongue, tails swaying in unison
Poppy swallowed.
Mingxi’s hand slipped into hers. “You’re not alone,” he murmured.
For the first time in her life, she knew she wasn’t.
Xu Yunlian stepped forward first, carrying a bowl of shimmering silver liquid. “This is foxfire-blessed water,” she explained softly. “We use it to call the ancestors’ attention.”
Poppy nodded, though her heart was pounding.
